well, i saw a really interesting coat in the shops yesterday, it wasn't made of paper but this Swing Coat was made to look alot like the brown paper patterns that designers first make. (but made of this felt/wool material in beige) It looked soo cool!

I've worn Tyvek suits in industrial jobs. I looked like one of the NASA guys in ET at one point in my life. Anyway, Tyvek is what makes you angry when you can't open those seemingly 'paper' envelopes.

Gius, I remember seeing something a while back about 1960's paper clothes. Somebody had a collection of them, still in their wrappers or something. I guess hemp would be considered paper to an extent, right? Papyrus is just smashed up plants, hemp is woven plants. Wait, so is cotton! Hmm... where is the line drawn? I'm confused now.

Hey fbm, I think I saw something like that too--maybe on tv... It was real paper though...
In Japan, I've read they also have a tradition of making clothing out of paper. They also make paper yarn...

Anyway, in reply to the difference between fabric and paper, here is a response I got from someone...

it's a processing thing -- paper is made from separated fibers, with some binder added and suspended in water so that it can be made into flat, large sheets. Fabric however takes a more complicated process -- the fibers must be carded out so they're all going in reasonably much the same direction, then spun at a high speed into coarse to extremely fine threads, which are then woven into, or machine knit into, a fabric. papermaking's much faster, but is stiffer, since the fibers aren't as fine, has the glue-like binders, and you know how like if you dry your jeans in the air and don't rumple them up before you wear them, they're stiff? same thing with paper, it's made with water and dried to be flat.

Has anyone seen the British Vogue 50th anniversary issue? It's from 2007, but I've forgotten which month. They featured an entire fashion shoot with paper clothes. They were beautiful and imaginative and... didn't look like paper at all, I thought, they looked just as wearable as ordinary clothing, if a bit more delicate.

^ Oh I didnt't touch them. But they did look like thin and delicate crisp paper, not the special plastic paper. MMM made his invitation from that kind of "paper", to wrap around your wrist. It was made by Dupont if I remember well, might be tyvek.

^ Oh I didnt't touch them. But they did look like thin and delicate crisp paper, not the special plastic paper. MMM made his invitation from that kind of "paper", to wrap around your wrist. It was made by Dupont if I remember well, might be tyvek.

Oh!! It really is paper Thanks nqth for all the nice pictures... and the close-up This is really awesome
I think you are right about Dupont

With all the comments I've been reading here, hehe now I wonder what the sales are like for TAO's paper dresses

Because I'm about to learn how to make paper, I've been looking at use of handmade paper for various embellishments, like jewelry, hat decorating and construction, handbags, parasols, and fans, and home decorations. I thought it would be interesting to broaden the 'paper clothes' discussion to incorporate a wider range of products. I hope that's okay.

Here are some examples...

Poppy Necklace and Daisy Ring of paper only

Origami Earrings and Pin of paper and wire and beads

Post Earrings made of flax and wire

uptoyoutoronto.com . thepapercraneorigami.com . jbeelsdesign.com

__________________“Above all, remember that the most important thing you can take anywhere is not a Gucci bag or French-cut jeans; it's an open mind” Gail Rubin Bereny